Ranking the NFC through 11 games

Philly has gotten hot and have finally played up to their talent level. Saquan Barkley is the free agent signing of the decade and if you are a Giants fan, have to be shaking your head watching him go off for the Eagles.

I think the thing with the Vikings though is we have proven we can play with anybody. Most of our issues are self induced (turnovers and penalties) and if we play a clean game we are a problem to go up against.

Agree with your ranking. Lions and Philly are good teams who are getting hot at the right time. I don't think the Vikings are quite on that level, but they're capable of getting there if they can stay healthy.

The Vikings are finding ways to win when the other team takes away Jefferson in the passing game. If Darnold can keep finding Addison when JJ is taken away they can beat anybody.

Greylock wrote:
The Vikings are finding ways to win when the other team takes away Jefferson in the passing game.  If Darnold can keep finding Addison when JJ is taken away they can beat anybody.

Hock coming back has also been huge in that regard. They can scheme to take away JJ as much as possible, but now we have not only one guy (Addison), but at least two (Hockenson) that can beat you and have to be accounted for.

supafreak84 wrote:

Hock coming back has also been huge in that regard. They can scheme to take away JJ as much as possible, but now we have not only one guy (Addison), but at least two (Hockenson) that can beat you and have to be accounted for.

And if Darnold gets a little quicker going to his check down to Aaron Jones we'll be even more dangerous.  I think Aaron Jones receiving ability is the one piece we haven't utilized fully this season.  He's open there but Darnold likes to throw downfield instead.  

That is the next evolution in Darnold's play this season...  know where AJ is so you can hit him if no one is open at the top of your drop instead.  I'll take him 1-1 with a LB or CB all day long.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

And if Darnold gets a little quicker going to his check down to Aaron Jones we'll be even more dangerous.  I think Aaron Jones receiving ability is the one piece we haven't utilized fully this season.  He's open there but Darnold likes to throw downfield instead.  

That is the next evolution in Darnold's play this season...  know where AJ is so you can hit him if no one is open at the top of your drop instead.  I'll take him 1-1 with a LB or CB all day long.

this is kind of what I was referring to in that we are not using the space  JJ creates effectively enough to get opposing Ds to play him more honest.  also the clear out underneath him on his deeper routes is there way more often than we are hitting it.  I noticed in TN that there are massive holes on the field and typically they are created by JJ either going deep or running deeper crossing routes.  The safeties follow him,  the LBs are getting to depth to take away throwing short,  especially the areas outside the hashes is there.  I wonder if Sam has more issues with those out throws and that is why we arent hitting those areas more often?

just to be clear, I am not trying to bag on KOC, SD, or JJ, I just noticed that we have some big chunks of real-estate that are being under utilized IMO.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

And if Darnold gets a little quicker going to his check down to Aaron Jones we'll be even more dangerous.  I think Aaron Jones receiving ability is the one piece we haven't utilized fully this season.  He's open there but Darnold likes to throw downfield instead.  

That is the next evolution in Darnold's play this season...  know where AJ is so you can hit him if no one is open at the top of your drop instead.  I'll take him 1-1 with a LB or CB all day long.

I almost mentioned this same thing earlier when I brought up Mullens in another thread!

Weird how Mullens comes in and nails an open and streaking Jones two different times this season and those might be Jones' two biggest receptions of the year. I might be blanking but certainly up there.

That's not to say Sam is doing poorly, it's just to say Jones absolutely has that in his bag still. The coaches/starting QB would be wise to tap into that at some point. I think they will.

purplefaithful wrote:
Detroit Philly

MN
GB

ATL
Sea

Vikings have been impressive at times, other times not. I think there is a big drop after Philly tbh...

Phil/Det/Balt - very physical can just pound on teams. Philly handled Rams pretty easily, I was impressed and I hate that green team too.

The Vikings were one 3rd and 4 first down conversion from beating Detroit in their first game and first loss of the season.   The Vikings traveled to the West Coast on 3 days rest to play a very hungry and somewhat for the first time HEALTHY Rams team and still only lost by one score.   The safety was BS and we all know it.   Not saying the Vikings tie it up and win it, although it was possible.  Still a one score loss.

Philly and Lions are very good teams and playing well. No disagreement.

4 of 6 Vikings games are at home.

1 road trip out of CST is to Seattle- tough place to play. Last game of season is at Detroit- Are they gonna rest starters?

With 6 games to play the Vikings are in an enviable lurking position.

Injuries, weird bounces happen. Also each team has 3 divisional games left. Weird shit happens in divisional games

I am trying to remember, does the #1 wildcard team get a home playoff game or not?

purplefaithful wrote:
I am trying to remember, does the #1 wildcard team get a home playoff game or not?

NO, its the 3 division winners.

Currently the 5th seed Vikes would go to the 4th seed Falcons

Pack to seattle
skins to philly

Lions stay home and play with themselves.

Brandon Mileski@BrandonMileski
Losses by Lions, Vikings, and Packers this season when playing teams other than Lions, Vikings, and Packers:

Lions - 1
Vikings - 1
Packers - 1

I really do think the Vikings are in the midst of having a strong era of Vikings football and it all starts with Kevin O'Connell. I think he's just one of those special coaches like Andy Reid who is an offensive genius, knows QBs, and connects with his players. He's adaptable to the modern NFL and his coaching record without a top 5 QB speaks volumes. The dude is 29-16 with Cousins, Darnold, Dobbs, Mullins, and Hall as his QBs...

StickierBuns wrote:
Stacking wins against teams you are supposed to beat is HUGE. 3 wins on the road in a row?? Never been done in franchise history....you know why? Because its f-ing hard to do, that's why....no matter who you play. Some of these Vikings fans that unless you are Detroit and smoking everyone or have Patrick Mahomes, the team wins just aren't good enough for you. With the super lucky bounce that gave Chicago the onside kick and then into overtime, my wife looked at me and goes, 'Vikings are going to win this'.....and honestly, I felt the same way. New mental territory for sure. That's KOC.

This is probably the 5th best team in the NFL right now.....with Sam Darnold.

MAD GAINZ wrote:
I really do think the Vikings are in the midst of having a strong era of Vikings football and it all starts with Kevin O'Connell.  I think he's just one of those special coaches like Andy Reid who is an offensive genius, knows QBs, and connects with his players.  He's adaptable to the modern NFL and his coaching record without a top 5 QB speaks volumes.  The dude is 29-16 with Cousins, Darnold, Dobbs, Mullins, and Hall as his QBs...

I know some fans wanted Harbaugh and I get the logic. I didnt watch that game last night and end up pining for Jim over KOC for coach though. I wanted to go younger, more progressive, more cutting edge. 

If you can do it that way and win? Even better I guess. 

Agree if they can keep KOC around, this is going to be a fun era for the franchise/fans. I feel like we're at the forefront of things now in the league vs old school. 

The big unknown is JJM. Thats the lynchpin that will set the environment here in Viking land for at least the next 3+ seasons. 

Lots longer if he pans out.

O’Connell has been able to recount road games in sunny terms more frequently than any coach in recent Vikings history.

After acing a three-game road trip with wins at Jacksonville, Tennessee and Chicago, the Vikings have a 5-1 road record this season, tied for second best in the league with the Chiefs and Eagles.

Throw in the Vikings’ London victory against the Jets, and they’ve won six times in seven games away from U.S. Bank Stadium this year.

Since O’Connell took over for Mike Zimmer, the Vikings are 15-8 on the road, tied with the Ravens for the fourth-best mark in the league since 2022. They’d gone 35-37-1 on the road under Zimmer, the 13th-best mark in the NFL during the coach’s eight seasons.

Only 17 seasons in Vikings history include at least five road wins. Bud Grant had eight of them, Dennis Green had three, Mike Zimmer had two and Norm Van Brocklin had one. Jerry Burns and Brad Childress, who each coached in NFC Championship Games, never had seasons with five wins on the road.

O’Connell already has three in three years, tied with Green for the second most in team history.

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